SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING PROCESSING, SUCH AS SPREADSHEET PROCESSING

Abstract

A system for performing a calculation processing for each cell in a sheet by setting a calculation formula to calculate values for the cell. The system includes: an input data selection unit for sequentially selecting, in response to association of a or a plurality of cells in a sheet having a plurality of input data recorded therein with a first cell, the plurality of input data as values for the first cell; a calculation unit for performing, in response to selection of the respective input data as values for the first cell, calculations of a calculation formula set in a cell other than the first cell and referring to the first cell; and a data output unit for outputting calculation results of the calculation formula obtained by the calculation unit for each of the input data as values of a or a plurality of second cells.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It is believed that the above features, advantages and purposes of the invention will be better understood from the following description of one or more embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the general arrangement of a spreadsheet system 10;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an external spreadsheet 22 as an example of a first sheet included in a database 20;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal spreadsheet 24 as an example of a second sheet included in the database 20;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing example of association information 26 included in the database 20;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the functional arrangement of a spreadsheet apparatus 30;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the external spreadsheet 22 displayed by a display unit 360;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the internal spreadsheet 24 displayed by the display unit 360;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the calculation processing based on data recorded in spreadsheets;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of steps S810 and S840;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the details of step S860;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the spreadsheet;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the concept of a processing based on the spreadsheet shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a conventional example for the ADIEU system;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example wherein a spreadsheet apparatus 30 for this embodiment is applied for the ADIEU system; and

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus 500 that serves as a spreadsheet system 10.

Claims

1. A system for performing a calculation processing for each cell in a sheet by setting a calculation formula to calculate values for a cell, comprising: an input data selection unit to sequentially select, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells in a sheet having a plurality of input data recorded therein with a first cell, corresponding input data as values for the first cell;a calculation unit to perform, in response to a selection of the corresponding input data as a value for the first cell, a calculation formula set in a cell other than the first cell and referring to the first cell; anda data output unit to output calculated results of the calculation formula obtained by the calculation unit for the corresponding input data as values of one or a plurality of second cells.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: an acquisition unit to acquire first and second sheets; wherein the input data selecting unit sequentially selects the corresponding input data as the value of the first cell, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells of the first sheet having a plurality of input data recorded therein with the first cell of the second sheet;the calculation unit calculates a calculation formula set in a cell of the second sheet other than the first cell and referring to the first cell, in response to a selection of the corresponding input data as value of the first cell; andthe data output unit outputs the calculated results of the calculation formula obtained by the calculation unit for the corresponding input data as values of one or a plurality of second cells in the first sheet.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: a display unit to display the second sheet with a symbol indicating that the calculation formula is applied for the input data, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells having a plurality of input data recorded therein with the first cell.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the display unit displays any of the input data in the first cell, and displays a calculated result for the input data displayed in the first cell, in a cell for which the calculation formula is set.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the display unit displays the second sheet with an identifier indicating an arrangement order within the input data displayed in the first cell.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising: an input unit to accept input useable to change the identifier;wherein the display unit changes the input data to be displayed in the first cell, in response to a change of the identifier, to input data identified by the changed identifier.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the input data selecting unit generates temporary sheets having a structure of the second sheet and being equivalent in number to the input data, and selects the input data as corresponding values of temporary cells of the temporary sheets corresponding to the first cell;the calculation unit calculates the values of the temporary cells using calculation formulas set in the temporary sheets, respectively; andthe data output unit generates temporary fields to record calculated results, records the calculated results obtained by the calculation unit using the calculation formula for the input data in the temporary fields, and outputs the calculated results recorded in the temporary fields to the second cell.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: a determination unit to determine whether the input data have been updated;wherein the calculation unit generates the temporary sheets according to the number of the increased input data, under the condition that the number of the input data is increased.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the data output unit generates the temporary fields of a size according to the number of the increased input data, under the condition that the number of the input data is increased.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: an access control unit to inhibit a user from changing the values of the first cell and the second cell, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells having a plurality of input data recorded therein with the first cell.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit to determine whether each of the input data is updated; whereinthe input data selection unit selects the updated input data as the values of the first cell, in response to an update of one of the input data;the calculation unit calculates the calculation formula referring to the first cell, for the updated input data; andthe data output unit outputs calculated results of the calculation formula obtained by the calculation unit for the updated input data.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition unit further acquires a third sheet;the input data selection unit selects the respective input data as values of the third cell, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells of the second sheet having a plurality of input data recorded therein with a third cell of the third sheet; andthe calculation unit calculates a calculation formula set in a cell in the third sheet other than the third cell and referring to the third cell in response to selection of the respective input data as values of the third cell.

13. A method for performing a calculation processing for each cell in a sheet by setting a calculation formula to calculate values for the cell, said method comprising: sequentially selecting, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells in a sheet having a plurality of input data recorded therein with a first cell, the respective input data as values for the first cell;performing, in response to a selection of corresponding input data as values for the first cell, a calculation formula set in a cell other than the first cell and referring to the first cell; andoutputting calculated results of the calculation formula for the corresponding input data as values of one or a plurality of second cells.

14. A program product which permits an information processing apparatus to serve as a system for performing a calculation processing for each cell in a sheet by setting a calculation formula to calculate values for the cell, the program product permitting the information processing apparatus to function as: an input data selection unit to sequentially select, in response to an association of one or a plurality of cells in a sheet having a plurality of input data stored therein with a first cell, the corresponding input data as values for the first cell;a calculation unit to perform, in response to a selection of the respective input data as values for the first cell, a calculation formula set in a cell other than the first cell and referring to the first cell; anda data output unit to output calculated results of the calculation formula obtained by the calculation unit for the corresponding input data as values of one or a plurality of second cells.